Interesting, easy enough to read, but didn't really speak to the bits of engineering management that I'm interested in. However, it was fun to see how some of the culture that was intentionally set at the higher levels.

I keep bouncing off assumptions about product / funding / etc that don't exist in my world, and since this book was written by people very high up, it was way more strategic than "here's how to manage a small project".

I'm reluctant on giving it a 5 stars only because, even though I love the book, it doesn't go to the core of Google.
Yes, it gives many examples and anecdotes of what Google strives to be and how it works on it, however, there's no visible struggle for you to grab on to. I wanna doubt that it's gonna work, even though we all know it worked out in the end.
Maybe it's personal taste, but it's a bit too vanilla, and I like it more down and dirty (no pun intended).
All in all, I loved reading it, and shall move to "In the Plex" which seems to be the version of this that I want.

One of my all time favourites, How Google Works is an in-depth look at why Google is so successful and why it is one of the most aspirational places to work.

A true gem of a book.

Smart creatives will change the world by their ingenuity, supreme skills, big mindset and teamwork. This more or less summarizes the book. Unfortunately it disconnects the books from normal mortals as many of the thoughts finally goes back to the main premise. The book is clearly structed as a management book covering organization, strategy, hiring, meeting, hiring, innovation and big thinking. Most of the ideas overlap heavily and can be repetitive. Google, obviously with all its success remains an enigma. Some anecdotes of product conception are truly inspiring. Google maps and its origin is an example. We tend to get a perspective about the Page brothers and their approach.

There is a condescending tone to the non 'Smart Creatives', the non-Google. One could argue that being Google this is well deserved. But in 2020 when Internet entities and their role in society is being questioned this tone is jarring. The book disappoints a little in feeling like a Corporate document extolling the virtues of itself. My biggest criticism would be the length as many of the chapters labors on with the same theme and different anecdotes. The authors, due to some strange reason, wrote the book in third person. This is very strange as it robes the book the feeling of having a dialogue with the authors.

Finally it is a good read. But for some of the readers it could be a tad repetitive and pompous.

It has taken me approximately 5 years from the time I started reading this book to finally finishing it. I am glad that I didn’t rush it because as I came back to it, I was in a different space than I was when I started reading it. I have now graduated with a degree in Computer Science and started a new job. This book not only managed to motivate me to do better but also it made me think about things from a very different perspective. A perspective that I needed to be aware of. As I am writing this review I am excited to go back to work on Sunday with that different mentality. I feel like I have learned so much in these last couple of chapters and I hope to see what I have learned implemented in my day-to-day life. Well actually, I will be trying my best to be actively seeking to implement the points mentioned.

The first book I read for 2015 is a business book. A very well written business book about Google, but a business book nonetheless, written by two men who have worked at Google for many years and are in upper management. This book would've been a very interesting read in my Management class last semester, as it has very helpful and applicable tips. The chapters about decision making and innovation were the chapters stuck out for me. Obviously, since this book is written by people who currently work at Google, it has a very pro-Google slant, but it is still an enjoyable book, something I never expected to write about a business book.

Hype, hype, long-winded exposition, more hype

More 3.5 ⭐️ TBH an enjoyable, interesting read but as one of the reviews says on the cover it literally is "a blink view of one of the world's most successful companies". Very interesting and relevant insights into corporate culture, communication and innovation. Good read but not sure it told me much I've not read before in other similarly inspiring business/mgmt. books but worth the read nonetheless even if just for the voyeurism of getting a peek inside Google!

The chapter on hiring the best talent is very good. The rest tends to get redundant. Zero to One covers topics like speed, innovation, and risk-taking with less ink.

Noy very interesting - probably beacuse not much is said about Google - very shallow - We get more stuff from other web sites about Google than from its past CEO